


The Nobility Of The Magnolia

by Lasafara



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcoholism, Cowboy!Cas, F/M, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, kid!Sam, parent!Dean, past opioid abuse, physical assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-15 15:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19620238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasafara/pseuds/Lasafara
Summary: Dean left his hometown of Knoxville, TN ten years ago, following his then-girlfriend Amara in an attempt to get away from his father. Now, father of two young children and well aware that Amara never really loved him, Dean has returned. Moving in with Bobby and Ellen was a godsend, but his past is determined to come back and haunt him.Cas's life fell apart when Dean left, and he's not sure he can handle the heartbreak of being around Dean again. But he also can't turn away from Dean. When Dean's past and his present collide, will Cas be willing to stand beside Dean?





	The Nobility Of The Magnolia

“Are we there _now_ , Daddy? Sammy’s gotta pee and I’m _hungry_.”

Dean shot a quick grin back at his 11 year old daughter Emma. Sammy, at 6, was indeed squirming his _if I don’t get to a bathroom quickly I will need a pants change_ wiggle. “Can you hold it for five more minutes, buddy?”

“I can try, Daddy,” Sammy said. It was clear he wasn’t sure though.

With a sigh, Dean signaled as he spotted a McDonalds up ahead. “All right. We’re _almost there_ , but we’ll take a quick break up here.”

“Can we get Happy Meals? I’m _hungry_ , Daddy!” Emma was getting tired, Dean could tell. She was usually a fairly patient child, but when she was tired, she got whiney. 

He couldn’t blame her, though. Dean and the kids had been on the road for 14 hours. If he’d been alone, Dean could have done the trip in a lot less, but the kids had smaller bladders and stomachs. Times like this, Dean wished that he had a minivan. Not that he’d trade Baby for anything. Except a minivan, maybe, on a long car trip with kids. 

“Are you sure you want a Happy Meal? We’re almost to Uncle Bobby’s house. I bet Auntie Ellen will have something good,” Dean said cajolingly. 

“But I’m hungry _now_!” If she’d been standing, Emma would have stomped her feet. Dean sighed. In any other situation, they’d be having a conversation about her tone. But right now, Dean felt kind of like stamping his feet and screaming too.

New York City had been home for the last ten years. He’d moved there with his then-friend, Amara Caine, to get away from his dad as soon as he turned 18. Dean’s dad had been the worst kind of drunk, angry and belligerent, volatile to the extreme. Dean had caught more fists than he’d dodged, and when Amara had given him a way out, he’d grabbed on with both hands. He hadn’t realized that he was jumping from the frying pan into the fire, though.

Amara was a wealthy older woman, who had been spoiled rotten by her parents. Dean had learned quickly that she was just as manipulative as his father, John. The problem was, when Dean moved in with her, he met Emma. Her daughter. Emma was only a year old, and being raised by nannies. Dean couldn’t stand that this little girl was being left alone like that. So when Amara offered to let him adopt her, become her real father, in exchange for being a stay-at-home dad there in her apartment, he’d jumped in with both feet.

The wedding had been huge, as befitting a socialite of Amara’s standing, and Dean had let it happen, unwilling to argue at all. After all, it was Amara’s big day, as she and everyone else reminded him repeatedly. He couldn’t ruin her big day. The fact that he would have preferred to have simpler food (“Could you imagine what the Kardashians would _say_ , darling”), a smaller venue (“That simply isn’t _done_ , darling”), or to invite his Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen (“Your family would feel like hillbillies compared to the rest of us, darling”), none of that mattered when it came down to it. So he’d let it happen, and stood at her arm for the millions of pictures and smiled when he was told to smile. 

Dean had thought they’d come to love each other, had thought that getting married and adopting her child made them a real couple, and he had overlooked things he shouldn’t have. He knew that now. But at the time, he was so happy to be in a place where he wasn’t being hurt, Dean had been willing to shrug off warning signs. And then, four years later, Sammy was born, and Dean got to be there at the hospital for his birth. It was the proudest day of his life. 

That right there should have told him something. 

“You sure? Maybe just some fries, and then we can eat at Auntie Ellen’s?” Dean said. 

“I want chickey nuggets!” Sammy said. 

Dean sighed as he pulled into a parking spot. “Okay, fine. Happy Meals all around, but you have to stay with me, okay?”

“Yes, Daddy!” The kids chorused. 

As soon as the car was stopped, Emma had unbuckled both herself and Sammy, and was opening the door. Sammy was still too young to not have a carseat, but the Impala wasn’t really built for them. Dean had had to make some adjustments to make it work. In New York, the car had been in storage. He and the kids had taken the bus or the subway everywhere, which made for easy transit in the city. Dean hadn’t really left the city, once he’d moved here with Amara. So Baby got stored away. The last three days before Dean served her the paperwork had been spent getting her back into showroom shape and adding all the kid-friendly elements necessary.

Like the TV/DVD player currently plugged into the cigarette lighter and strapped down behind the front bench seat so the kids could watch their movies, and the iPod hooked up to the tape deck with the entire Hamilton soundtrack and the One Direction discography. Never let it be said Dean wouldn’t do anything for his kids.

Sammy was dancing on the pavement, his pee-pee dance getting to extremes. 

“Okay buddy, grab my hand. Did everyone lock their doors?”

“Yes, Daddy!” they chorused.

Normally, he’d check to be sure. Sammy had a bad habit of forgetting to lock his door when he got out, especially if he was distracted. Unfortunately, Sammy was about to explode, so Dean just sighed and grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

Dean took Sammy into the men’s room, trying to quell his panic as he had to let Emma disappear into the women’s room alone. There was no need to be worried about her. Amara had made it clear years before that she had no interest in being a mother, only in the appearance of being grounded that having kids gave her, both to her parents and to the world. Dean had done everything he could to avoid being seen by the media, to avoid letting the kids be seen by the media, both while they traveled now and for years before. He’d used the excuse of the kids’ privacy, and Amara had been willing to allow it because it made her look more like a caring mother when she wanted to. In exchange, she’d gotten to take the kids to a limited number of high-profile outings.

Once done with the potty, he waited until he could gather both the kids together. “Did you wash your hands?”

“Da-ad! Of _course_ I did! I’m not _gross_.” 

“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady,” Dean warned. 

“Can I play in the playplace?” Sammy asked, ignoring his big sister’s pouting.

“No. We’re grabbing food, and then we’re going to do three laps around the car and keep driving,” Dean said. “We’re _almost there_ , guys. You can eat in the car.”

With both children now pouting, Dean shuffled them into the line, ordering two kids meals (one cheeseburger, nothing else on it, with apple slices and a car toy, and one chicken nuggets with ketchup and yogurt and a car toy) and a drink for himself. He would eat at the house. Ellen would have a whole spread waiting for them, he was sure. She’d probably be upset at the fast food, but there was no way he was going to get them into a McDonalds for a bathroom break and not come out with food. Not without a meltdown, anyway.

Dean wasn’t happy about food in the car, but... It was part of having kids, and more importantly, it was part of long car trips with kids. He’d clean Baby out good later.

Once they’d gotten their food, he led the kids out to the car and set the food on his seat. The passenger seat was packed full, along with every nook and cranny that wasn’t designated kidspace. Dean had abandoned most of his own things, but he couldn’t leave the kids’ favorite toys or plushies. Or blankets, or shirts, or books or or or… The list went on. Both kids had book boxes on the floor below their seats, a whole row of them along the back floor. A cooler sat between them, filled with melting ice, juice boxes, and sandwich fixings. Another box in front of it held chips and other non-perishable snack food. He’d done what he could to make the trip fun.

“All right! Time to run!” Grabbing both kids’ hands, he jogged slowly around the car, gently tugging the kids to keep up.

“Ahh! Monsters!” Sammy shouted, laughing. Emma didn’t take long to join in the imaginative game, and by the end of the third lap, both kids were giggling loudly. They still groaned at getting back in the car, but the promise of food was enough to make it happen.

*****

Twenty minutes later, Dean pulled into the long, long driveway on Mercury Drive that held Bobby’s house and farm. The row of irises that Ellen maintained next to the driveway was blooming, and Dean couldn’t help smiling. It was quite the sight to behold. He was just pulling up to the second garage (Bobby used it to keep his vehicle maintenance equipment) when Jo came bursting out of the house and down the steps. 

“Dean!” 

Dean hopped out of the car and caught the young woman (good lord, she’d grown) and used her momentum to swing her in a circle. 

“Hey, girl. You’re missing your pigtails!” Dean grinned as he set her down, before turning to open the car for Emma.

“I haven’t had pigtails in years and you know it, Dean Winchester.”

Emma grabbed Dean’s hand, hiding behind his arm. Dean didn’t push it, gesturing inside the car at Jo. “Grab the cooler, Jo? There ain’t much left, but your mama will want it in the fridge as soon as possible. I’m gonna grab Sammy.”

Jo rolled her eyes, but reached in and grabbed the cooler and snack box, giving Sammy a grin as she did. The boy just shrank away from her, looking up at Dean as he shifted Emma’s grip to his belt so he could unbuckle Sammy. Once he had the boy in his arms, he pulled their primary duffel bag out of the front seat and slung that over his shoulder.

“Here, sweetie,” he said, passing Emma a bag that held her and Sammy’s favorite plushies and blankets. “Can you carry this inside for me?”

Once that was done, he locked the doors and shut them, taking Emma’s free hand just as Bobby and Ellen walked up.

“We’ll unload the car, kid. Jo’ll show you to your rooms. We set up the basement for you guys,” Bobby said. 

Ellen looked like she wanted to wrap the kids up in blankets and set them in front of the fireplace, but Dean was grateful when she didn’t. He smiled tiredly. He’d started this trip at 5am, bundling the kids up before they were even awake. They hadn’t even bothered to get dressed until four hours later when both kids had finally woken up enough to be hungry. “Thanks, Bobby, Ellen.”

“I’ve got food in the kitchen, y’hear?” Ellen shouted as he walked up the steps past the garden. The last step made him smile. Bobby had fixed it when he was a kid, but the house had settled funny, and now the step was almost too much for Emma to make. She gripped his hand hard as she hopped. 

“All right, babies. We’re gonna follow Cousin Jo downstairs, okay?”

Sammy was already asleep, his full belly making him sleepy. Emma nodded. Jo dropped their food on the dining room table.

“Alrighty. To the right, here, we have a small room we thought would be perfect for Emma. A little small, but it’ll do for now,” Jo said, opening the folding closet door to the right. It was not a closet but a small room roughly ten by five feet square, with a standing wardrobe in one corner and a white and purple daybed.

“What do you think, princess? Is this a good room?” Dean asked, watching with a smile as her eyes grew wide. Emma nodded.

“It has a Narnia!”

“It does,” Jo said. “And you can put up whatever you want on the walls. We can even put up wallpaper, if you want.”

Emma turned her wide eyes to Jo. “I _can_?”

Dean’s heart broke a little. Amara had believed that a well-kept home meant one that looked like it came out of a magazine. Dean had saved baby pictures and mementos in storage with his car, or they’d be thrown out. The only thing that went on a wall had to be pre-approved by both Amara and her interior designer. Not even refrigerator art survived, something Dean had learned the first time he’d tried. Emma knew her dad saved things in photo albums and scrapbooks, but it wasn’t the same as displaying it.

“Sure can. You can plaster the whole wall with cat photos if you want,” Jo said.

“Unicorns,” Emma whispered, hiding behind her dad again.

“All right baby. For now, why don’t you dig out your jammies, and then Sammy and I will let you get used to your new room.”

Emma nodded. Once she had her pajamas, Jo led them to the rest of the basement. “We put up some temporary dividers for now here, so that you and Sammy could have separate rooms. The bookcase can be moved if you’d rather just have one big room though. Then back here we set up a playroom here, with a TV and a futon, so the kids can have friends over once you get them settled in school. The TV will have to fight with the washer and dryer for noise, but you’re far enough from the rest of us that they can scream all they want.”

“Thanks Jo,” Dean said, pulling her into a hug.

“Are you sure you don’t want to put the kids up in our spare bedroom? We’ve still got those bunkbeds… Or you could sleep up there,” Jo said, gesturing above her.

“No, not right now. I like this setup. I’d rather we all be together right now, until the kids adjust,” Dean said, setting Sammy down in his bed. “Thank you. And who knows, Sammy may abandon me for bunkbeds yet.”

“If you’re sure,” Jo said.

“I’m sure. Now scat. I need to get this guy into his jammies or he’ll be crabby tomorrow,” Dean said.

Once Jo was gone, Dean got Sammy settled, slipping him into the covers. He smiled at the brand new truck-themed sheets. Then he checked on Emma, who was happily bouncing on the bed. “Good to see you’ve got your energy back.”

“I! Love! My! Room!” 

“Well, don’t break the bed, child.”

“I won’t!”

Dean smiled, shaking his head, and then left her to it. He’d set down rules about furniture hopping tomorrow, but for now, he’d let it slide. He went to his room, sat down on the bed, and looked around. It was small, cramped, and only somewhat separate from the rest of the house, but it was home. It was homey. It didn’t look like it’d come out of a magazine, or been artfully arranged for maximum feng shui. It looked like home.

If his eyes were a little red when he went upstairs to help out later, no one said anything about it.

*****

“So, what are the chances your high-rise wife will come looking for you?” Bobby asked over dinner.

“I don’t know. Amara never really showed any interest in the kids unless she needed them for an appearance,” Dean said, shoveling potatoes into his mouth.

“Yeah, but I can’t imagine it’ll look good for her to lose custody of the kids,” Ellen said. “Even if you did let them have McDonald’s instead of my homemade meatloaf.”

Dean just rolled his eyes. “I’m going to get them enrolled in school tomorrow. After that… We’ll deal with Amara if that happens. She didn’t seem too upset when I gave her the paperwork. I’m not going to worry about the explosion unless it happens.”

“Why don’t we head over to Pigeon Forge, go to the Dixie Stampede? Emma a fan of horses?” Jo asked. 

Bobby and Ellen shared a look, clearly thinking something Dean couldn’t interpret, but he shrugged anyway. “Unicorns, but yeah. The kids would love that.”

“I’ve got an inside source,” Bobby muttered. “We send horses thataway every once in a while. Could be fun.”

“Sounds good. We’ll do a day trip,” Dean said. “It’ll be fun.”

*****

“Now! We are looking for kids ages 5 or 6! Do we have anyone that age?” 

The announcer on the stadium’s dirt floor sent his squad of cowboys and cowgirls up through the stands, picking out children who looked about the right age. Sammy, after some heavy whispering with Emma, stood up and raised his hand frantically. 

“Me me me me!”

A cowboy walked up and grinned down at Sammy and Emma. “What do you say, little man? You’re wanting to come?”

Dean grinned as Sammy nodded. “Can my sister come too, Mister Cowboy?”

“We~ell… I think she might be better off cheering you on from the stands, but if you like I can take you both around to see the horses later,” the cowboy said. “That okay with you, little lady?”

“Yes!”

Sammy looked a little more hesitant, but Dean shooed him off, and he followed the cowboy happily. Dean waited just a bit and then followed him down, leaving Emma with Bobby, Ellen, and Jo, holding his phone ready to record. He was not disappointed. 

The announcer explained that each child had a chicken, and the first to herd the chicken over the line won a prize. Sammy nodded solemnly, but apparently didn’t quite understand the directions. While the rest of the kids were screaming at the chickens, chasing them happily all over the stadium, Sammy quietly walked over to his assigned chicken. Within minutes, he was picking up the chicken and carrying it over to the nearest cowboy.

Dean chuckled, trying to stay quiet, as he recorded the poor cowboy trying to convince Sammy to carry the chicken across the line, but Sammy just walked away, finding another cowgirl to speak to. This continued a few minutes more, until another child managed to get their chicken across the designated line, at which point Sammy looked around confused, still holding the chicken who was, as near as Dean could tell, asleep with its head over Sammy’s shoulder. Then Sammy stayed on the field, adamant that he wasn’t going to give the chicken back.

Finally, a cowboy gestured towards Dean, who was allowed down onto the stadium floor. Sammy was nearly in tears, cradling his chicken.

“Daddy, I caught the chicken first! I caught it! It’s mine now!” Sammy started to cry when he saw his dad.

“Aw, buddy. I see that. But don’t you think the chicken might miss its chicken friends if we took it home today?” Dean asked, kneeling in the dirt next to his son.

Sammy sniffled. “I guess. But I’d be his friend. And I’d name him Mr. Chickey and never eat chickey nuggets again.” 

“But Mr. Chickey likes it here. Can we leave Mr. Chickey here at the rodeo with his chicken friends, and we’ll get a toy Mr. Chickey from the gift shop, okay?” Dean glanced over his son’s shoulder and mouthed at one of the cowboys. ‘ _You have stuffed chicken toys right?_ ’

The cowboy nodded and turned, pulling out a radio. Dean turned back to his son. “How does that sound? A Mr. Chickey you can sleep with instead of this one? So you can always remember Mr. Chickey?”

Sammy thought it over, and finally nodded. A cowgirl walked up with a chicken travel cage, and Sammy very gently nestled Mr. Chickey into it, telling ‘him’ the whole time what a good chicken he was and that Sammy would never ever ever eat chickey nuggets again. Once the chicken was put away and on its way out of the stadium, Dean lifted his son into his arms, starting to head back to his seat.

“Sir! Just a moment, sir!”

At the words, he turned. A cowgirl ran up to him, holding a small gift bag. “You forgot your prize, little man.”

“I did?” Sammy looked at her with big eyes. 

Inside the gift bag was a yellow Dixie Stampede bandana, and under that, nestled comfortably among tissue paper, was a stuffed chicken toy wearing a tiny matching bandana. Sammy squealed. 

“Mr. Chickey! Thank you Miss Cowboy!”

“You’re welcome, little man,” the cowgirl said, before she disappeared into the swirl of the next act. 

Sammy wiped his tears away and grinned up at Dean as they got back to their seat. Dean helped him put the bandana on just like Mr. Chickey’s. It was clearly the best experience of Sammy’s life to date, even if he was covered in stadium dirt and feathers and heaven only knew what else. And Emma, next to them, had her eyes glued to the horses on the stadium floor. Dean suspected they’d be walked out with a stuffed horse before they left.

*****

Dean was not wrong about the stuffed horse. The best, though, was when they were pulled aside as they were leaving and were handed backstage passes. Bobby rubbed the back of his neck and muttered something about his contact wanting to make sure the kids had a good time. Emma danced as she looped the lanyard over her neck. 

“Daddy Daddy, will they have a unicorn? Probably right? But maybe it’ll be like The Last Unicorn and its horn is usually hidden completely. Do you think it’ll be a girl unicorn or a boy unicorn? Probably a boy. I think it’ll be a boy, Daddy. Then I can marry him! I could marry a girl unicorn too, but I want to look the prettiest in the dress, and a girl unicorn would be prettier than me,” Emma somehow managed to avoid taking a breath the entire time she spoke.

“No one, not even a unicorn, could be prettier than my little girl in her wedding dress, but let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves,” Dean said, wondering if not seeing a unicorn would break her heart.

Just then, a cowboy walked up to them and cleared his throat. Dean looked up with a smile, ready to greet the stranger, when his heart stopped. It wasn’t a stranger.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel said, and Dean felt like he’d been transported a decade in the past.

*****

_They were lying out in Bobby’s field, staring up at the stars. “Someday, I’m gonna run away, Cas. I’m gonna get away from Dad, and he’s never gonna hurt me again.”_

_“You could stay with me,” Cas said. “You could always stay with me.”_

_“Thanks, buddy. You’re like a brother to me. But I gotta escape. I’m always gonna be under Dad’s thumb if I stay here,” Dean said, not seeing the hurt cross Cas’s face._

_“I’ll go with you. I can rodeo in Texas. Let’s move to Texas,” Cas said, sitting up._

_“Sure, Cas. Sounds like fun,” Dean replied, laughing. “Everything’s bigger in Texas, right?”_

_Dean didn’t realize, then, that Cas took that as a promise. A promise to save Dean from the hell his life had become once Dad had started drinking. It was three weeks later that Dean met Amara._

*****

“Hey, Cas,” Dean said, feeling a little winded suddenly. Cas had always been a handsome man, but at 30, he’d filled out nicely. And in full cowboy gear, carrying a (child’s) saddle, Cas was suddenly hitting exactly all of Dean’s kink buttons. _Get it together, your kids are present dude._

Dean was pretty sure he was blushing, as Cas tipped his hat towards him. 

Then Cas turned to Emma. “Howdy, little lady. How would you like to go for a ride?”

Emma stared up at Cas, speechless and suddenly shy. She tugged on her father’s sleeve, until Dean leaned down to whisper with her.

“Daddy, Daddy, I think he’s the unicorn,” Emma said quietly into Dean’s ear. 

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? What makes you think that?”

“Cuz he’s so pretty. Do you think he’d marry me, Daddy?”

“I think maybe you should settle for riding a horse with him for now, baby girl. It’s a bit early to think about marriage, don’t you suppose?” Dean asked.

“I guess so. Will you stay with me?”

Dean nodded. “Sure thing, kiddo. Lead the way.”

Cas waited until their conversation was done, though Dean was sure he’d heard every word since Emma was not nearly as quiet as she thought she was. Then he led Dean and Emma (and Sammy, who wasn’t about to let his sister _and_ his dad wander off among such big animals) over to a white mare, while Bobby and Jo wandered off. Dean handed his phone off to Ellen, who agreed to take photos and video of such a momentous event. 

“This is Amalthea,” Cas began, and Emma tugged on Dean’s shirt.

“Like the Unicorn!”

“Yes,” Cas replied. “We here at the rodeo heard you like unicorns, little lady, so we thought we’d make sure you got to ride Miss Amalthea, here. I named her myself.”

“I _told_ you he was a unicorn, Daddy!”

Dean just chuckled, gesturing for Cas to continue. He watched Cas lead her through the process of putting a saddle on the horse, before he gently lifted her up into the saddle. Dean was relieved to see that Cas had no intention of giving her the reins. After that, Cas walked her and Amalthea out into the yard, circling along the fence for a couple of loops before he grinned up at her.

“Would you like to go faster?”

Dean felt his heart leap into his throat as she agreed, before Cas mounted behind his daughter and with a shout, they were off. He could hear his daughter shrieking with laughter as they smoothly galloped around the yard, but Dean couldn’t help his fear. There were so many things that could go wrong…

“Calm your roll, boy. You know that Cas would never let anything happen to her,” Ellen said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

“I... I know, Ellen. I know. I’m just…” Dean closed his mouth, not sure what he was trying to say. 

“I know, baby. It’s scary, watching them grow up,” Ellen said. 

Sammy looked up at Dean and tugged on his hand. “Daddy I won’t grow up, okay? So you won’t be scared anymore. I’ll tell Emma not to, too.”

Dean picked his little boy up and gave him a hug. “Sounds good, kiddo. Did you want to ride, too?”

“Nu-uh. Not without you, Daddy. Horses are _big_.”

Dean chuckled. “Sounds good. We’ll see what we can do then.”

Cas pulled the horse to a stop near them, Emma windswept and laughing. “Daddy Daddy, did you see me? We went so fast! That was faster than a _rocket_!”

“I saw you, baby girl. You’re gonna be a real cowgirl before we know it,” Dean said.

“Can we come back? I wanna do this again. Ple~ease?” Emma said, as Cas hopped down and helped Emma get off the horse.

“Well, I think maybe we’ll think about it, but!” Dean put his hand up before she could complain. “Uncle Bobby has horses, too, on the back of the property. We haven’t fully explored back there, have we?”

“Uncle Bobby does?” Emma turned wide eyes to Ellen, who nodded.

“We sure do, sweetheart. Uncle Bobby will be happy to teach you all about it.”

“But what about Mr. Castiel?” Emma asked. “I want to see Mr. Castiel, too.”

“Why don’t you ask him if he’ll come over?” Dean suggested. Part of him felt bad about using his daughter to rope Cas into coming over, but he really wanted to see Cas again too.

“Please Mr. Castiel? Ple~ease??”

No one could say no to that, and Cas was no exception, though he shot Dean a glare for it. Rolling his eyes so hard his whole body moved with it, Cas sighed. “Yes. I don’t live too far from Bobby’s. I can make it out there sometime next week, I’m sure.”

Emma cheered, and Dean felt like joining in. He couldn’t wait to see how Cas had been the last ten years.

“First, though, would the little man like to take a ride?” 

*****

Sammy did not like horses. Even with his father behind him and the child’s saddle helping secure him, Sammy did _not_ like horses. It was a very short ride, and before long Cas was taking Amalthea into the stable with Emma, teaching her all about how to take care of the horse once a ride was over, while Dean calmed Sammy down. Dean and Sammy cuddled Mr. Chickey for some time before both Emma and Sammy were ready to go home.

At least they’d managed to have fun.

*****

Cas wasn’t sure how he felt about Dean being back in town, but only because he was still feeling a bit blindsided by the whole situation. He wished Bobby had seen fit to warn him, but he was also fairly sure that if Bobby had, Cas would have found a way to disappear. Get transferred temporarily to the Branson, Missouri branch or just go on a regular rodeo circuit.

It wasn’t that Cas didn’t want to see Dean, exactly. Well, it was that, but specifically, Cas didn’t want to get his heart broken again. Dean had walked out of his life ten years ago with his heart and soul, and now he was back. And Cas was not sure what he was back for, exactly. Was he done with Amara for good? Was it a vacation? A trial separation? Perhaps Amara was dead?

The amount of wishful thinking going on only proved to Cas that ten years was not enough time. And Emma was… what? Clearly his daughter. She had a lot of her mother in her, clearly, but her honey-blonde hair could only come from Dean. Surely? Surely she was Dean’s. And that made Cas wonder how old she was.

Cas knew that his understanding that they had been dating before Dean left was not, perhaps, the most accurate. He’d been prepared to give the world to Dean, only to find out that Dean had no idea in the worst way. Showing up to Dean’s home with two tickets to Texas only to find out that Dean had run away with Amara had been the worst day of Cas’s life.

And now he had to go make nice with Amara’s children. 

Hopefully, Amara was out of the picture. Maybe this time, Cas would have a shot.

*****

Dean paced around the basement, trying to pull himself together. Cas would be over in just a few hours, and Dean suddenly felt entirely unprepared. “What am I even doing?”

Cas had been the hardest thing about leaving Knoxville, by far. Dad had only paid attention to Dean when he needed a punching bag. Bobby, Ellen, and Jo had been hard, but not the same way. No, Cas had been Dean’s best friend, and his brother, and looking back, Dean’s first real crush. At the time, Dean hadn’t been able to even think about that. John Winchester had not liked much about Dean, but at least Dean was a ‘real man’ in the elder Winchester’s words. His father very likely might have killed him if he’d learned that his son liked a boy. 

John hadn’t liked Amara, either. But he hadn’t hated her or done worse than call her a few names behind her back. He hadn’t threatened Dean for going out with her. It made a difference.

But now… Now Dean didn’t care what his drunk-ass father thought. He wasn’t even sure if his father was still alive to be honest, and he was okay with that. Dean had had 10 years to come to terms with his attraction to Dr. Sexy and Harrison Ford, and frankly, he was more than ready to find out how the ‘other side’ lived, so to speak.

He just wasn’t sure he was quite ready to attempt dating his best friend that he hadn’t spoken to in ten years.

*****

“Cas Cas Cas Cas!” Emma shrieked when the doorbell rang, running headlong at the door to open it. Dean felt like trying to fight her for the privilege, but he held himself to a sedate walk behind her. _Be cool, Dean_.

“Hello, Emma,” Cas said as the door swung open. 

“Let the poor man in, honey,” Dean said, sweeping the little girl out of the way in a spin so that Cas could maneuver his way past her. 

“Where’s Amalthea? You rode her here, right?” Emma looked up at Cas pleadingly. Dean sighed.

“Baby girl, we talked about this. It would have taken Amalthea a very long time to get here, and she would have been all worn out,” Dean said. 

“That’s right, Emma,” Cas said. “Amalthea stays in her stable at the Stampede stadium. I drove here.”

“Oh. But I saved an apple for Amalthea! Uncle Bobby says horses love apples.”

Cas patted her gently on the shoulder. “If you give it to me, I will make sure she gets it, and that she knows it’s from you. She will be very happy that you thought of her.”

This seemed to appease Emma, and she ran off to go find her apple or whatever she needed to do that instant. Dean had a hard time sometimes keeping track of what was going through her head. 

“Kids, hey?” Dean said with a grin. There was a moment while Dean and Cas just stared at each other, and Dean knew it should be awkward, but… Cas had always been the kind to just stare, and Dean somehow never found it strange from him. Anyone else, sure, but Cas was different. And he was no chore to stare at either. 

Sadly, he wasn’t wearing all the cowboy gear. That did not mean he wasn’t deliciously western. Cas wore a beige suede jacket over a dark blue denim shirt, with the top two buttons undone. His jeans were black, with a large bull-riding buckle. Of course, he wore cowboy boots, and Dean could have swooned. It wasn’t chaps and a cowboy hat, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t amazing. 

Finally, Dean reached out and pulled Cas into a hug. “You look good, man. I’ve missed you.”

It took a moment, but Cas melted into the hug, gripping Dean tightly. “I missed you too.”

The hug went on longer than it should have, but Dean wasn’t complaining. 

*****

Sammy grinned up at Cas from his plate of hamburger ‘nuggets.’ Meeting Mr. Chickey had made Dean’s life a tad more difficult, and now nuggets involved cutting hamburger patties up. Fortunately, Ellen was a master at feeding picky children, and she had no problem coming up with alternative ‘nugget’ options. Today’s meal was spaghetti and meatballs for everyone else, and meatballs and ketchup for Sammy.

“Is Mr. Chickey doing okay, Mr. Cas?”

“All the chickens are doing quite well, Sammy. They quite enjoy meeting young children like you,” Cas replied. It wasn’t entirely a lie, Dean knew. The Dixie Stampede had been going on since he was young, and the chicken event was a well-loved part. The chickens were well-tamed and quite docile, and the adults who monitored it chose kids carefully and watched them closely. The chance of a chicken getting hurt was slim, and the chickens were used to the noise and crowds.

“Can Mr. Chickey come live with us?”

“Sammy. Mr. Chickey cannot come live with us,” Dean said, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. He wanted to make a good impression, and more importantly, he wanted his kids to make a good impression on Cas, and pestering him about stealing show animals was not going to be the way to do that.

“How old are you, Sammy?” Cas asked, smoothly changing the subject.

“I’m 6! That’s… This many!” Sammy said, holding his fingers up. There were only five fingers up at first, but Dean helped him get it right.

“There you go, buddy. You got it now,” Dean said.

“And I’m 11! My birthday was a month ago, and Daddy promised we’d run away for my birthday, but it was late, but we did it, and that’s okay!” Emma said. 

“Eleven?” Cas asked, his voice going small.

“Yep! That’s more than I have fingers, but Daddy says I’m not allowed to put my feet on the table so I can’t show you, but it’s _old_. How old are you?” Emma asked, and Dean nearly facepalmed.

“I will be turning thirty this year. Ah…” Cas stood up abruptly. “Pardon me for a moment. I need to use the facilities.”

Dean watched Cas walk out of the dining room, but instead of making the left into the bathroom, he went straight back to the master suite. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced at Ellen and Bobby, who shrugged.

“Leave him go for a moment, sweetheart,” Ellen said. “He had a hard time with your leaving ten years ago. He may not be quite as ready as you might’ve’n thought.”

Dean nodded, but thirty seconds later he was following Cas back to Bobby and Ellen’s room. Cas was his best friend, and he couldn’t let him hurt if he didn’t have to. And he knew what that look on Cas’s face meant, even if he had no clue what had caused it.

*****

Cas sat on the floor in the master bathroom, trying to choke back tears. He’d known there was a possibility that Emma was older than ten. He wasn’t great at figuring out children’s ages, though, and he’d hoped that Dean wouldn’t have led him on for that long. Sure, yes, Cas knew that there had been a few weeks there where Dean had been dating Amara after she swept into town. And obviously, Sammy was Amara and Dean’s from their marriage. 

But Emma’s age meant that not only had Cas spent a year ( _or more. Almost two years, gods, did that mean Dean was with Amara when he was 16?_ ) pining over his friend who was secretly dating a much older woman, but that his friend had flat-out lied to him more than once about it. That his friend had… Cas knew it was wrong to feel betrayed. He and Dean had never dated, never mind that he thought they had been dating since he was 17 and Dean was 15. Cas had always been the loner, held back a year not because he wasn’t smart, but because he didn’t see the point in doing the work.

And now he found out that the whole time… the _whole time_ Dean had been with someone else. Someone much older than him, who statistically was probably using him, and Cas was aware of all of that, and how terrible it was, and he tried to use that to remind himself that Dean was not culpable, but it hurt it hurt it _hurt_.

And then Dean opened the bathroom door, and Cas belatedly realized that he’d forgotten to lock it.

*****

“Aw, baby… What’s wrong?” Dean knelt down, reaching out to gather his friend, his maybe-someday-more-than-a-friend into his arms.

He pulled back when Cas shrank away from him, the glare on his face more than scary.

“Don’t touch me, Dean. Don’t _you dare touch me_.”

“Hey. Okay. No touchy. Got it.” Dean slid into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it behind him, before sitting across from Cas. “You wanna tell me what’s got you back here crying, instead of out eating Ellen’s cooking?”

“No.”

“O~kay. We’ll just sit here, then? I mean, I’m hungry, and I’m pretty sure you’re hungry, but we can reheat it. No big deal,” Dean said, gently nudging Cas’s leg with his foot.

“Go away, Dean. Go eat. I’ll clean up and get out of here in a moment.”

“And join us again? The kids were looking forward to showing you around the ranch.”

“I grew up here too, Dean. I don’t need your children to show me the ranch,” Cas growled, his voice going deeper and heavier. Dean sucked in a breath, turned on by the voice but extremely unhappy with the way this conversation was going. It made his reaction hard to control.

“The hell does that mean? Is there something wrong with my kids all of a sudden? You don’t get to be in my life if you have a problem with my fucking kids, asshole,” Dean said.

“Of course I have a problem with them, Dean! You were supposed to be…!” Cas’s voice went up, and then he shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that I wasted two years of my life thinking we meant something to each other, because in the end, _you left_. Did your dad even tell you I showed up at your house the day after you left?”

“What? No, he didn’t,” Dean said. “What the fuck does that have to do with any of this?”

“Everything!” Cas shouted.

“You’re not making any damn sense! Why the hell would you show up at my house? What is your damn problem with my kids? Why the fuck do you think we didn’t mean anything to each other when you were the only damn reason I made it through high school?!” Dean’s voice raised to match Cas’s, and he didn’t even think about how thin the walls might be.

“Obviously I wasn’t, because you didn’t wait for me! You weren’t even faithful to--Fuck you, Dean. Just. Fuck you.” Cas stormed past Dean and down the hall, past the dining room towards the front door.

“Wait a second asshole! Hold up! Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Dean shouted, following him.

“On a bender!”

Dean pulled up short at a tiny voice behind him. “Daddy… you said a bad word…”

“Ah…” Dean turned, torn. He desperately wanted to follow Cas, find out what the fuck his problem was, but Sammy and Emma were staring at him with wide, scared eyes, and he knew he couldn’t leave them.

“You’re right, Sammy. I did say a bad word, and I’m very sorry. We’ll set up a new swear jar after dinner, and I’ll put a quarter in it,” Dean said, coming back to the table. 

“Two quarters,” Sammy said, still subdued. Dean hated that he’d done that.

“Two quarters.”

*****

“Daddy?” Emma’s lip was quivering, and Dean knew she was three seconds from sobbing. “Does Mr. Cas hate us?”

It was bedtime, and the kids were curled up together in Emma’s room, where they’d decided they were both sleeping that night. Dean wanted to take back the whole evening, but he’d been so… So excited to have his friend back, so ready to start a new chapter… But Dean’s kids were his world, and he wouldn’t… He _couldn’t_ be with anyone who didn’t understand that.

“Oh baby. Oh babies… Come here. We need to talk.”

“Are we running away again?” Sammy asked. “Only, I really want to stay this time. Auntie Ellen said she’d make me fishie nuggets and I’ve never had fishie nuggets.”

“No, Sammy. We’re not running away again,” Dean said. Settling against the wall, he pulled both kids against him. “But we may not be seeing a lot of Mr. Cas for a while. Remember how we talked once that Mommy loves you very much, but she’s not very good at showing it?”

The kids both nodded.

“Well. Sometimes adults have a really hard time explaining what they’re feeling, just like Mommy isn’t very good at showing you how much she loves you. We ran away because Mommy needs more space, remember?” Dean waited until the kids nodded again, and then continued, “Well, Mr. Cas and I used to be bestest friends, but then we had… We had a fight.”

“Did you yell at him like you did tonight?” Emma asked.

“No… I ran away without telling him. And it hurt his feelings.”

“Did we hurt Mommy’s feelings?” Sammy’s voice quivered, and Dean wanted to cry. He was making a mess of this.

“No no, honey, remember? I told you, I told Mommy all about it. Plus, Mommy and I had agreed a long long time ago, before you were even born, that if we got a divorce, she got all the other stuff, but I got all the kids,” Dean said. It was the only way he could figure to explain a prenup to children. “That means that I get you, and I get Emma. And Mommy can come visit whenever she wants to. Mommy knew all about that, and she agreed, so it’s okay.”

“But you didn’t tell Mr. Cas when you left?” Emma said. “And so he was mad at you?”

“Right. And I said something again tonight that upset him.”

“What did you say?” Sammy asked.

“I… I’m honestly not sure, baby. But sometimes even grownups have a hard time using our words. And what do we do when we can’t use our words, babies?” Dean asked. 

“We go outside and scream until we feel better,” the kids parroted back.

“Right. So Cas is going to go spend some time doing his screaming, and then he and I will talk again, and I’ll find out what happened, and I’ll say I’m very sorry and then what should I do?” 

“Never do it again,” the kids said together.

“Right. But this was _all_ grownup stuff, okay? None of it had to do with you. Mr. Cas likes you guys a lot, and nothing you did or did not do would have changed this, okay? Do you understand?” Dean gently shook both children, making sure they both made eye contact and nodded before he let them go. “Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Emma said. Sammy nodded along.

“All right. Who wants a story?”

“Me! Me!”

*****

Jo sat down on the barstool next to Cas and shoved a water bottle at him. “Drink.”

“Don’t wanna,” Cas said petulantly. “Aren’t you too young to be in here?”

“Guess what, asshole? My mom owns this bar. Now drink your damn water so we can talk about this. Because Mom and Dad were under the impression that you were past this type of shit,” Jo said. 

“I thought so too. Funny, that,” Cas said. But he drank his water.

“Okay. So what’s got your panties in a bunch, buddy boy? Cuz as near as I can tell, you ain’t got nothing to be upset about. Dean’s back in town, handed the divorce papers to his wife before he left and seems pretty damn sure she’s gonna sign them, and is ready to settle down here,” Jo said. “And if the moony-eyed way he was staring at you every time you weren’t looking says anything, he’s ready to settle down with _you_. It’s all your dreams on a platter.”

Cas sighed. “I don’t know. I just… I thought… Back then we were so close, I thought we were already together.”

“Cas. You’ve been down this road.”

“I know, I know. I got the scars to prove it.” And he did. Ten years ago, he’d done the exact same thing the night John had sent him away. When he found out that Dean had run away with Amara. The difference was, the next day he’d had a major bull ride, and he’d been too drunk to be safe. The scar on his back was large, but he was lucky. He’d only lost a kidney to the bull’s horn, and the rodeo clowns had done their job well and gotten him out and to help quickly. What had followed had been a five year battle with opioid addiction, until finally he’d managed to pull himself out of the hole with Bobby and Ellen’s help.

Now he stuck to horse training and the Dixie Stampede. Safer all around, even if it didn’t pay as well. But then, he didn’t have Dean to support, like he’d thought he would. So it didn’t really matter that he wasn’t pulling in tons. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t ride a bull again, that he’d been blacklisted for riding hungover. It didn’t matter that he could never feel that sense of being one with the animal, of… of flying, almost, ever again. 

Because he didn’t have Dean.

And now he could have Dean, and Cas didn’t know how to handle it. So he started to cry.

Going on a bender never worked.

*****

Amara glared at her personal assistant, flinging the pages she was holding up into the air in frustration. “What do you mean he’s not in the city? It’s a big city! He’s got to be somewhere!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. He left a forwarding address, and let me know that we could send any of the kids’ things that he’d forgotten there,” the assistant said. “It’s in Tennessee. Knoxville, Tennessee, in the outskirts of town.”

“He went back _home_? _There_? There’s nothing for him there! All he had to do was ask, I would have been happy to set him and the kids up with a small apartment here in the city,” Amara said, sitting down on the high-end loveseat in her barely-touched living room. “I have an engagement with my father to attend, and you know how he likes to see the kids. I _promised_ him that Emma would be there.”

“The prenup you signed clearly states--”

“I _know_ what it says. I signed it. I am not as stupid as you apparently think I am. And I’m not a monster. I may not be mother material, which I am _well aware of_ , thank you very much. There is a reason I went looking for a pretty stay-at-home father.” Amara sighed. “But that doesn’t mean I expected him to take the kids six states away. This is extremely inconvenient.”

“You still have a week and a half before your father’s charity dinner. I can contact Dean and see if he would be amenable to a day trip,” the assistant said, tapping through a tablet for information.

“Better yet, why don’t I just fly out myself? I’ve been needing a vacation myself for a while, after all. I can fly out, convince Deanie to come back to the Big Apple in an all-expenses paid apartment with the kids, and then I can pick them up whenever I need them without this whole plane fiasco. That man won’t step on a plane, and I doubt he’d trust me with the kids alone,” Amara said, tapping a finger to her chin. “Not for a while anyway, until he’s sure I’ll return them. I will, of course. It’s easier to let him have them. But this way I don’t have to worry about it. I’m sure it will only take a few days.”

Amara nodded then stood up, marching towards her bedroom. “Make the arrangements. And pick up those papers, they’re important.”

“Yes ma’am.”

*****

John growled at the doorbell, rocking forward out of his chair to get up. “I’m coming, you bastard, hold your damn horses.”

He blinked when he opened the door to a smartly dressed woman he thought he recognized. “C’I help you?”

“Yes, Mr. Winchester. I was wondering if your son, my husband, was here. He said he’d be coming back home.”

John rocked back, his half-drunk mind trying to work out who she was, when it finally clicked. “Ms. Amara. Uh. No, that idiot son of mine hasn’t come crawling back this way. Not that I’d let him if he did. You’re in the family way, aren’t you?”

Amara tittered prettily, and John remembered why he’d been willing to let his son marry some woman he barely knew. She clearly was no hussy. “Well, not at the moment, no. I’ve finished all my childbearing, and am focusing on my career. Dean is kind enough to help out with the children, though.”

“Always knew that boy wouldn’t amount to nothing,” John grumbled. “Did he up and leave you with the kids? I’ll tan that boy’s hide.”

“Oh! No, he took the children with him. The thing is, I really would prefer that the kids stay in New York,” Amara said. “He can have his silly divorce, and I’ll set him up with an apartment for him and the kids, no need to tie himself to me. I just don’t want the kids so far away.”

“You’re their mother. That boy should know better than to leave a good woman like you in the lurch. I’ll have a talk with him. That’ll put him straight,” John said, growling the words. 

“That would be wonderful! And if you have any idea where he might be…?” Amara asked.

“He’ll be at Bobby’s. That boy would’ve lived there if he didn’t know I’d whoop his ass for running away. I’m sure he thinks I’ll never find him if he hides out there,” John said. 

“Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Winchester. I’ll be sure to drop by the Singer residence as well.”

“You have a nice day, you hear? I’ll take care of my son,” John said. Then he shut the door and went to find some real clothing. He had a mission.

*****

Amara went back to her rental car, immediately pulling out her hand sanitizer and scrubbing her hands. John Winchester was a disgusting human being, and she strongly disliked having to stop by his house at all. But it was necessary. She doubted that alone she could convince Dean to come with her back to New York, even with the promise of a free apartment. She wasn’t blind to the fact that he’d never been completely happy in the city. 

But his father, now. That was a different story. Dean had always been terrified of his father. He’d woken up in the night sometimes from nightmares focusing around John Winchester. Amara was sure that Dean would listen to his father. They may not be in love, but Amara had a connection to Dean, a deep, intimate connection. And Amara _would_ get her way. She always did.

*****

Dean looked over at his daughter as she got out of the car. “All right, now remember. It’s your first day of class, so listen to your teacher and no fightin’. Play nice with the other kids, unless of course one of the other kids wanna fight. Then you have to kick the other kid’s butt.”

“Da~ad. You’re such a dork,” Emma said

“And you’re my kid, so you’re a dork too.”

Sammy laughed in the backseat while Emma got out of the car. “I’ll be back to pick you up right here at the end of the day, okay baby girl?” 

“I know, Daddy.”

And then his little girl was off and running, and Dean felt his heart clench a little. He tried not to think about it too hard as he turned into the road and headed off to the elementary school. It was time to get Sammy to his afternoon kindergarten class. 

He didn’t notice the figure get back into a car and merge into traffic behind him.

*****

Cas sighed as he cleaned out the chicken coop. Bobby had asked him to help out getting the coop ready for new chickens. Bobby and Ellen were both getting on in years, and with Jo getting ready to go off to college, they had let the chickens go to the neighbors in the last couple of years. With Dean back in, and especially with how excited Sammy was by chickens, Bobby had decided to invest in a few hens again. He’d asked Cas if he would come over and get the coop ready to go.

It wasn’t Cas’s favorite job, but he owed Bobby too much to say no. It was going to take him several days to thoroughly clean it, but it would make Sammy’s day to have his own ‘Mr. Chickey.’ Cas suspected that Bobby was also finding ways for Cas and Dean to make up.

He wasn’t sure if he was grateful for that or not, but the fact that Dean was off dropping the kids off at school made it a little easier. And cleaning the coop was a gross job, which meant hopefully Dean would stay away. 

If Cas still knew Dean, though, it wouldn’t keep him away long.

*****

Dean spotted Cas’s car in the driveway when he got back and grinned. Cas wasn’t in the house, though, so he headed out towards the stables. If nothing else, he could go check on the horses, do some chores to help Bobby and Ellen out. They weren’t charging him for staying with them, which he was insanely grateful for, but meant he needed to make sure he found ways to help out too. Dean vowed he’d get the kids to help out, too. Emma probably wouldn’t complain about having to be around the horses, but he’d have to find things for Sammy to do that weren’t near the animals. The poor kid was really scared.

“Hey! Boy!”

A chill running down his spine, Dean turned at the familiar voice. “Dad… How’d you find me?”

“You ain’t hard to find. You always did go running to Bobby when you knew you were in trouble,” John said, and Dean felt like a helpless child again.

“You know Bobby doesn’t want you on his property,” Dean tried, scrambling for some way to get away.

“I also know he ain’t home right now. It’s just you and me and the stablehands, and I doubt any of them are gonna come to save you,” John sneered. Then he pulled off his belt, the buckle hanging towards the ground. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson you ain’t never gonna forget, boy.”

Dean ran for the stables.

*****

Cas wasn’t in the stables, and Dean didn’t dare go out to find him. He just needed to hide long enough for his dad to get further back on the property, and then he could make a break for the house. Once he got to the house, he could call for help, or just start his car and drive away. Dean was cursing himself for leaving his phone in the house right then.

“Dean! Get your ass out here and take your whooping like the man you ain’t!” John called, coming into the stables. Dean held his breath, hoping his hiding place was good enough.

It wasn’t. 

*****

Amara came into the stables just in time to see John swing the buckle of his belt down on Dean She shrieked.

John turned, and rolled his eyes when he saw her. “Go inside, miss. I’ll have your husband ready to come home to you in ten minutes.”

“What are you _doing_?” Amara shouted. “I wanted you to _talk_ to him, not beat him!”

“Boy’s too stupid to understand talk. Fists are the only way you’re gonna get your husband back, but don’t you worry. By the time I’m through with him, he’ll never dream of leaving you,” John raised the belt again and again, the thunk of the metal belt hitting Dean’s body resonating through the stables. 

The fact that he wasn’t even fighting back, and the blank, defeated look in his eyes as he took the beating was what scared Amara into action. Leaping forward, she grabbed John’s arm, stopping him from swinging again.

Or so she thought. Instead of lowering his arm, John snarled, flinging her off him and clipping her face with the buckle as she fell.

“Stay put, or I’ll deal with you next!”

Amara nodded, clutching her face with her hand. As soon as he was focused on Dean again though, she pulled out her phone and began texting the only number she still had in her contact list from when she met Dean.

Castiel Novak.

*****

Cas nearly didn’t bother reading the text, when he saw who it was from. He had agreed, at one point extremely early on, to be Dean’s emergency contact, and that meant for some reason that Amara had needed his number. He’d never used it, and had thought often of deleting it, blocking it even. But the thought that someday Dean might need him and use Amara’s phone to get to him kept him from doing it. It was a long shot, sure but…

So he read the text.

And then Cas ran. He ran faster than he’d ever run in his life.

He still didn’t know if he’d make it in time.

*****

Dean wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in this position again. He knew moving back to Tennessee meant possibly running into his father, but he’d stupidly assumed it would be at the grocery store or something innocuous like that. That they’d exchange vague pleasantries and he’d imply that Amara had left him instead of the other way around, and John would accept that.

He should have known better. He should have known he’d never be able to truly escape. He wasn’t made to be happy. Dean should just go back to Amara, after all. It didn’t matter that she’d been fucking half the city, not really, or that he never had a say in anything in their lives. It didn’t matter that the kids couldn’t even decorate their own rooms. It only mattered that he was making other people happy.

Dean didn’t deserve happiness.

And then the beating stopped. The yelling still went on, but it didn’t sound right, sounded like someone was still getting beat, but even that was wrong. Dean knew the sound of that belt buckle hitting skin, had become intimately acquainted with it over the years, and the metal clank of the buckle hitting skin was missing.

He looked up, and found a Western Angel standing guardian over him.

*****

Cas ran in just as the belt swung down, and he saw red. Dean’s father had never been his favorite person, but while Dean still was under his guardianship, there was nothing he could do that wouldn’t have resulted in more trauma for Dean. And once Dean was gone, well. Cas had his own issues at that point. But now? Now there was nothing holding Castiel back.

Tearing the belt from John’s hand, Castiel threw the bloodied leather away from him. He would not stoop to using John’s cowardice, no matter how poetic it might be to turn his favorite weapon against him. Distantly, he heard the buckle clank against a post, but he had already turned his fists on John, dodging the half-drunk man’s angry blows and landing his own heavy hits.

When John finally stopped fighting back, falling to his ass in the dirt, Castiel glared at him from in front of Dean. “Stay down.”

John glared, but he stayed put. Then Castiel turned to Amara. “Call 911. We’ll be turning him over to the authori--”

“You can’t do that! You assaulted me!” John yelled hoarsely.

“I think you’ll find that since this is my place of work and Dean’s home, and you assaulted him with a weapon, I was well within my rights to protect him and myself. In fact, since Amara and Dean have a previous relationship involving children, even she has more of a right to be here than you do,” Castiel said. “Especially considering I know that Bobby told you that you were not welcome on his property after the last time you trespassed while drunk. A fact Bobby will testify to. Coupled with a comparison of your injuries and Dean’s, as well as testimony from the three of us, and I have every reason to believe that I not only can ‘do that’ but win handily. Now kindly _shut it_ while Amara makes her phone call.”

John did.

*****

Ten minutes later, Dean had been loaded into an ambulance and taken to the hospital. He was going into shock, and Cas was worried sick. But he had to stay at the scene with the police for a little while longer Amara was being interviewed, her statement taken as she cried, still somehow looking pretty as she did so. Cas was pretty sure that meant her tears weren’t real. 

John was in handcuffs, glaring daggers at everyone while the EMTs treated his wounds. The police said he’d be taken to the hospital as well, but kept cuffed and far, far away from Dean. The officer was also insistent that the EMTs at least look Cas over too. He’d taken a couple of blows from the older man, but Cas knew he was okay.

“Well, I think that’s everything. Head over to the EMTs before they leave, if only to document your wounds, and we’ll be in touch. With everything you guys have said and Mr. Winchester’s reputation with law enforcement, I don’t foresee any problems for you in this case. Thank you, Mr. Novak. Here’s my card,” the officer said, and Castiel nodded, taking the card and heading for the EMTs.

*****

As Cas had thought, he had no real treatable injuries, and most of the bruising wouldn’t show through until later. Cas promised to document the injuries as they showed themselves, and then he headed for his car.

On the way to the hospital, he called Bobby. The old cowboy often helped his wife out at her bar during the day, and he was sure if Bobby wasn’t with Ellen, he would call her as soon as he could. After reminding Bobby about the children (thank God they were in school at the time) Cas hung up, pulling into the hospital and parking. Then he was inside.

“I’m here to see Dean Winchester.”

“Are you family?”

Clearly, this wasn’t going to be as easy as he had hoped.

*****

When Bobby showed up, the first thing he did was get permission for Cas to go back and see Dean with him, which Cas was eternally grateful for.

"They say he was lucky," Bobby said. "His ass of a father managed to give him several welts and bruises, but thank god he didn't do worse. You got there in time, kid."

Cas nodded as they stood over Dean's sleeping body. They'd sedated him, partially because it was easier than local anesthesia to stitch the numerous wounds, and partially because when they'd administered the IV fluids to bring him out of shock, he'd become extremely agitated. Dean seemed so peaceful now, and if he ignored everything below the neck, Cas could almost have believed he was simply sleeping. Dean always had been good at protecting his face when things got bad.

"How long will he be in, did they say?" Cas asked.

"They're going to hold him overnight, just to make sure everything is okay. If all goes well, they figure by tomorrow morning he'll be released," Bobby replied.

It was relief, to be sure. Cas pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down, carefully taking Dean's hand. "How long before visiting hours end?"

"Several hours. If you want to sit here for now, I'll go deal with the mess at home. Ellen will be in shortly; she needed to get someone to cover at the bar for the delivery," Bobby said. "I'll tell her to bring you in somethin' to munch on."

"Thank you. And… The kids?"

"Hopefully, Dean will be awake by the time Sammy needs to picked up in a half hour. I know they were expecting him to pick them up, so when I show up in the pickup they ain't gonna be happy." Bobby sighed. "Keep me informed. I'm gonna head out and go buy a carseat. It ain't like I don't need one, anyway. Got all these babies living with me now, after all."

Cas smiled, though it was strained.

"And kid? Thank you. I know Dean means a lot to you, so I ain't gonna suggest you don't know what you did for us, but it means a lot to us and to those kids," Bobby said. "That man needed to go to jail 15 years ago, maybe more, but I could never convince Dean to press charges. Now he's an adult, and I ain't gonna take no for an answer. Boy's an idgit, but he knows how to protect those kids. And he's gotta know that John won't avoid hurting him around them for long."

Cas nodded. It was true. It was probably only luck that John hadn't caught Dean at home alone with the kids.

It wouldn't happen again.

Castiel would make sure of that.

*****

When Dean woke up, he couldn't remember where he was. This wasn't his bed in New York, he knew that. But it wasn't his bed at Bobby's, either. Where…?

And then he remembered as the pain kicked in. "Dad…"

That's when he realized someone was holding his hand, when they squeezed it gently, and he instinctively jerked away. "Get… get away… no…!"

"Shhh Dean, your father isn't here," the voice said, and Dean struggled for a moment to place it.

"Cas…" Dean murmured as he relaxed. "Cas, why is it so dark?"

"Because your eyes are closed, Dean. Please open them. The nurse would like to check your eyes," Cas said, and Dean smiled.

Slowly he blinked his eyes open, and there before him was the most beautiful sight in the world.

It was not the nurse.

"Hey Cas."

"Hello Dean."

*****

Dean tried to sweet-talk the nurses into letting him go early, but the hospital staff held firm. He decided that it would be best not to scare the kids with the hospital, so Emma and Sammy spent a restless night at home. But when he got out of the hospital, Emma came crashing through the house and barreled directly into him, Sammy close on her heels.

"Daddy Daddy Daddy Daddy!!"

It hurt, but Dean wasn’t about to stop them. He had never had an overnight away from them. Emma had been to sleepovers a couple of times, but not Sammy, and it was different when a parent was away unexpectedly. He imagined it was scary for the kids.

“Hey babies,” Dean said. “Did you have a good night?”

“Sammy slept with me, Daddy. He had nightmares,” Emma said.

“Did not!” said Sammy. But he was carrying Floppy, something he only did when he had a bad night, so Dean was pretty sure he had.

“I missed you guys a lot too,” Dean said.

“Auntie said you got hurt and was in the hospital, Daddy. Did you fall down?” Emma asked. 

This was the hard part. How to explain what had happened? Dean paused, trying to work something out, when Cas walked up behind him.

“Your daddy and I got into a fight with a very bad man. But we won, and he’s going to jail now,” Cas said. 

“Daddy says not to fight though,” said Emma.

“It’s only okay if it’s a very very bad person. Someone who hurts you first,” Dean said. He wasn’t sure the fight explanation was the best, but it would work, and he hadn’t managed to come up with anything better.

“Why don’t you let your daddy inside? He and I need to talk,” Cas said. 

Dean swallowed hard. Hopefully it was a good talk.

*****

It took a while for the kids to calm enough for them to leave Dean’s side, but Bobby managed to draw them away with animal feeding. Sammy was reluctant, more so than Emma, but with “Mr. Chickey” waiting for him, he finally left, clinging to Bobby’s had. Both children extracted promises that Dean would be there when they returned.

It broke Dean’s heart.

Cas waited patiently, until the kids were gone. “Dean, we need to talk.”

“Yeah, got that part. What about?” Dean didn’t mean to be snippy, but he wanted to be with his kids right now.

“I need you to know I don’t think we can hang out like we used to. I’ve spoken to Bobby about this, and he will stop attempting his ‘matchmaking skills’ on us,” Cas said, wringing his hands. “I still care about you a lot, but…”

“But what, Cas? Cuz I care… I… You’re like a brother to me, and I don’t want to lose you cuz of my dad. I’m getting therapy. They made me,” Dean said, “but I’d do it anyway. I don’t think… Dad makes me think things I--”

Just then there was a knock on the door and Dean couldn’t hold in a curse. He got up (gingerly, the kids’ hugs had not done his injuries any favors) and went to answer the door. 

“Well fuck,” Dean said as he opened it.

“Is that any way to greet your loving wife?” asked Amara.

*****

Cas wanted to growl at Amara as she walked into the house like she owned it. Bobby and Ellen had graciously found excuses to be elsewhere with the kids, and now he was wishing they would come back early. The animals couldn’t be that interesting, right?

“Thank you so much for your help, dear,” Amara said to Cas. “But can you make yourself scarce for a moment? Dean and I need to have a serious talk.”

Letting the growl out, Cas glared at Amara. Dean sighed. “Please, Cas? I was planning to make pancakes for the kids. Could you get that started for me?”

Pushing himself up from the table, Cas stormed into the kitchen and began to gather pancake ingredients.

“Is that far enough away, darling?” Amara asked Dean sweetly. Cas ground his teeth.

With a put-upon sigh, Dean shook his head. “My father just assaulted me. You’ll pardon me if I’d like to keep my best friend close.”

“But I saved you from him, Dean dear!” Amara said, hand to chest as though she were offended. 

“No. Cas did that. From what I’ve been told, you’re the reason Dad was there at all. Cas stays in the kitchen and no farther.”

The fact that Dean felt comfort from Cas’s very presence made Cas feel warm and fuzzy inside. Then he had to school that, because he needed to step back. He needed to pull away from Dean, because he couldn’t handle being just Dean’s friend. But he couldn’t be Dean’s more, not with the fact that Dean lied to him about Emma and Amara. He couldn’t handle that. 

“Very well,” Amara said, breaking Cas out of his thoughts. She sat down at the dining room table next to Dean. “I want to discuss the children.”

“Prenup says I have full custody of the children. I agreed to all your stipulations, you keeping all the money, the apartment, all of it, but I keep the children. I didn’t even bother to invoke the infidelity clause, and you know I could have, after I found you in our bed with with your accountant. Emma and Sammy are mine,” Dean said firmly. Cas wondered why the adultery was such a problem. Dean had been with--Well, Cas had _thought_ Dean was with him, but he’d really been with Amara. Right?

“I understand that. I wouldn’t dream of separating the children,” Amara said, and Cas raised an eyebrow as he mixed ingredients. Why would the children be separated? “All I’m trying to say is that, well. Isn’t Tennessee a little _far_? I mean. I _am_ their mother. And I had _plans_ ,” Amara said.

“And I had a wife. Now I don’t,” Dean said.

“Now don’t get snippy with me, Dean Caine--” Amara started.

“Winchester. I put in the paperwork, my lawyer says you signed the divorce agreement. I’m not a Caine anymore, I’m a Winchester. And the kids will be soon, too.”

“Fine, whatever,” Amara snapped, and Cas gripped the sides of the bowl with the pancake batter tighter. “Change your name, change their names, I don’t care. But I need them in New York. What will Daddy think when they can’t visit him all the time?”

“I don’t really care, Amara. I will fight you for them if I have to. Both of them. I have the adoption papers to prove that Emma is mine. Hell, do you even know when their birthdays are? Do you know who their doctor in New York was? I may not have your money, but I have the paperwork on my side, and I will do anything, _anything_ to keep them,” Dean said, and Cas quietly cheered for him.

“Look. All I want is for you to live in New York. It doesn’t have to be with me. I know you can’t afford your own apartment, but I will pay for everything. We can call it child support. Get your silly divorce, it’s all the rage now anyway,” Amara said, waving her hand. “But live in the city, so that I can still take the children out on the town without having to come all this way for them. You _know_ that will be better for them in the long run, having my money to smooth the wa--Ayieee!”

Amara shrieked as Cas dumped the bowl of lemon zest pancake batter over her head. Dean started laughing.

“Pulled my ass out of the fire again, buddy!” He said, then sobered, slightly. “Cas has made my intentions clear. You can visit Sammy and Emma whenever you like, but it has to be planned in advance, as do any trips out to see you. We’ll be staying here, thank you very much.”

Screaming and stamping her foot, Amara stormed out of the door. “I’ll call my lawyer! You’ll regret this!”

“No, I don’t think I will,” Dean said, laughing harder as he watched her stomp her way to the car. “I don’t think I will.”

Cas grinned. “I know someone. He’ll take your case pro bono, one of the best family lawyers in the country. Gabriel Trixtere. He owes me a favor.”

“Must have been a big favor,” Dean said.

“Oh, it was.”

*****

“So what was it you wanted to talk about?”

“Will you go on a date with me?”

“That didn’t sound like the direction that talk was going.”

“Let’s just say that Amara’s conversation with you was illuminating.”

“Then yes. Yes I will.”

*****

Amara did call her lawyers, but they quickly advised her to settle when Dean not only produced proof that he had been the sole caregiver to the kids their whole lives, but that Amara had broken the prenuptial agreement. He could, they pointed out, be entitled to half of everything she had, plus child support _and_ alimony. The fact that he wanted so much less was a miracle. Gabriel made sure, though, that he was taken care of for life.

Emma and Sammy settled into school. Emma began riding horses, and never once stopped believing that Papa Cas was a unicorn. Sammy very carefully fed the chickens every day, and named all of them Mr. Chickey.

Dean and Cas got married in the fall a year later. Cas was in full cowboy regalia. Emma was the flower girl, and while she loved her dress, she was not happy that Daddy was marrying _her_ unicorn. She did, at least, agree to share him. Sammy was the ring bearer, and very carefully led his favorite chicken down the aisle in front of his daddies. 

Cas wore chaps to the wedding night.

Dean wore “something blue” and just a bit lacy.

And they all lived

Happily

Ever

After.


End file.
